Pratham
in Mumbai is Akshara’s parent organization. A national network
which also has a presence internationally, Pratham’s
goal is to realize the dream of ‘Every child in school and
learning well’. Since its inception in 1994, Pratham has reached
out to over a million children. Four key elements make Pratham's
work unique: that it has a Comprehensive Geographical Outlook, it
is All Encompassing, Replicable and has a Strong Foundation.

As part of the Pratham network, Akshara has
taken up the task of universalizing access to primary education
in Bangalore, with offshoots in Mandya and Dharwad (Karnataka) as
well. Akshara has replicated Pratham’s "complete coverage"
approach, coupled with close links and co-operation with the government.
Like Pratham, Akshara is also based on a triangular partnership:
the government, the corporate sector and the citizens. The corporate
leaders have taken the lead, the government has responded by opening
its schools and sharing its facilities, and the community volunteers,
mostly young enthusiastic women from slums, implement the programs.

Today, the Pratham Network is active in
13 states across India.

Pratham Bookswww.prathambooks.org is a non profit trust that has been set up
to create high quality childrens' books at affordable prices in
different Indian languages -
Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Urdu,
English.